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Direct
Selling Pro
eNewsletter
Wednesday November 21,
2007 |
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A Training and
Performance Improvement Publication for the Direct Selling
Professional |
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Copyright
©
2007 Direct Selling Academy, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-934722-81-7
Not a subscriber? Click Here |
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Taking
Your First Step Toward Successful Retail Sales!
Retailing your products/services is what feeds your
income. If no one sells anything, no one makes any money, right? So how
can you make certain you take the right first step so you become
successful at retailing your products or services?
The first step to successful retail sales is to accurately target your
market. Target marketing is essential and it is when you narrow that
target market that you become a stronger potential solution provider
for that market you are targeting.
When coaching marketers about retailing their products/services, I
always ask a simple question - "Who is your prospect?" The most common
answer is "everyone!" I usually respond with a statement like, "So if
everyone is your prospect, why is it that nobody is the only one
buying?"
Think about it! Think about your own business.
Who is your best prospect? What are you doing to make certain you are
targeting the right target market of prospects?
A key component to increasing one's sales is targeting your best
prospect - the people most likely to buy from you. This is where
relevant and narrowed niche focusing is critical in becoming more
efficient in your marketing
effort. While we would like everyone to be our prospect, the reality
is we do need to narrow that focus to allow us to focus on the target
and make more sales.
Having a well-defined target market will allow you to identify
potential prospects better. This will also allow you to define your qualifying measures
needed to
sort and sift through the prospects, in order to connect with those most likely
to buy what you
offer.
To be effective in any marketing activity, there is what is called the
marketing mix. The marketing mix consists of: 1) the target market, 2)
your message, and 3) your method of marketing. All three must be in
balance.
Who are your best prospects? Your best prospects are the people who
are most likely to buy your products or services. Don't consider
everyone as your prospect, unless you want to waste time, money,
effort, and want to be frustrated in the process.
Instead, narrow your target market for greater success at retailing
your products or services. How do you narrow your target market? Markets fall into two categories; a chosen market and a natural
market.
A natural market is a market that you are already tapping into and are
marketing in. These markets exist from previous experience,
connections, and current customers. Look at your current customer base
and create a profile of the characteristics of your top 20% of your
customers.
A chosen market is one you decide to market to. Basically, it is a
market where you see an opportunity and a need you can fill with your
product/service. You can market to either types of markets or both.
The choice is yours.
Here is a brief exercise to help you identify your target market:
1) Of the product/service you want to market, list the three main
benefits one receives from your product/service.
2) Out of the three main benefits, chose one benefit to focus on. Pick
the one benefit out of the three that you feel most people would want.
You can survey friends and family on this as well.
3) With the one benefit in mind, ask yourself, "Who would most likely
benefit the most from this benefit?" That is your target market group.
4) Define the characteristics of your target market group. List no
less than 5 characteristics.
This is the start of your market profile. Keep in mind as you market,
the key element of your strategy is to focus on your prospect's
primary want. Learn as much as you can about your target market and
their primary wants
and needs. Concentrate the majority of your marketing effort in
generating leads from that target market.
About the Author:
Jeff Zalewski is CEO of Direct Selling Academy, Inc., your training
and performance improvement resource for helping you accelerate your
success. As a Certified Training Consultant and Success Coach for the
Direct Selling Industry, Jeff comes direct from the trenches with a
proven track record of success. He intertwines his in-the-field
experience throughout all his training resources, providing proven,
market-tested strategies and techniques that will work for you. Check
out the self-help products at
http://www.directsellingacademy.com
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Attn: Direct Sellers, Network
Marketers, and MLM'rs... Get a FREE CD!
Tired of spending countless hours spinning your wheels? Do you wish
you earned a whole lot more than it is costing you to operate your
business? Do you want greater results in return for all the time,
money, and effort you invest in your business? Are you frustrated
because everyone else is succeeding except you? If you want better
results from your business building efforts...
Get a FREE performance improvement training CD - and you even get to
choose the topic!
Go to
http://www.freetrainingcd.com for complete details!
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From the Field with Success Coach Jeff
Zalewski...
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, which is a time
to give thanks to those in our lives. Be sure to take some time to be
with your family. But don't just be there physically, be there
mentally. Practice your listening skills and that means listening more
than you talk. Plus, as you listen, truly listen.
When I say truly listen, I mean to listen to what
is said and not said. Pay close attention to whether you are listening
or just hearing... there is a difference! Go the extra mile by
focusing on the wants and needs of others and you will find you will
have a lot more fun. Make sure you are not chasing people away with
your opportunity.
Use this time to fact find, meaning gather
information. Remember, the business you are in is a relationship
business. Nurture those relationships by showing interest in others.
Gather that information and then after the holiday, go back and
contact those that are looking for what you offer (if the solution
fits).
Following are questions asked by a few of our
subscribers, clients, and/or students. You will find great wisdom you
can use in your business. Remember, it is not what you learn from the
words you read, but rather it is what you do with what you learn that
will make the biggest difference in your business.
Should you have any questions, feel
free to email me at
ceo@directsellingacademy.com
Q: How do I convert
purchased leads to members in a cost effective manner?
A: Converting purchased leads to members
in a cost effective manner can be accomplished over time. You will
need to implement a few strategies (i.e. 5 Point Strategy, 2+ a Day
Strategy, etc.) and use tools that leverage your time, money, and
effort (i.e. email broadcast, postcards, telephone, etc.). Two key
components of your approach would be balance and consistency.
A lesson I learned many years ago, and the statistics back this up, is
the best lead is a lead you generate on your own. The challenge is the
marketer faces the same obstacles as the lead providing companies do -
continual rising costs of doing business. In years past, we could buy
leads and get fairly decent leads. The overall results from purchased
leads were fair and made great business sense.
Over the years, lead costs have gone up and the reasons are varied. The
most common reasons relate to postal mail costs and rising oil prices
(that makes everything more expensive). As a result, lead providers are
forced to either charge more per lead or skimp on quality. Most of the
time, there is
skimping on quality. They have also moved most of their promotions for
generating leads to the online world. A problem with this is they do
not have a balance in their marketing efforts to generate leads. All
leads seem to come from one method category - online marketing. The
result? Lead quality has gone way down.
Since it costs far too much for companies to employ staff to verify
every lead, they leave that job in your hands as the marketer. This is
why the leads are so cheap (usually under $1 a lead). However, some
companies do verify information and will charge upwards of $5 to $10 a
lead. Unfortunately, the higher the cost per lead, the higher the
expectation level the marketer will have.
In addition, there is another problem in the fact that the prospect
does not know who you are and has not requested information directly
from you (yet). This can bring down the response rate, and as a
result, increases your overall cost per new member sale or
recruitment.
Do not bank all your marketing efforts on purchased leads. Diversify
by using a variety of methods for your own lead generation. Read our
Special Report, 5 Point Strategy, for details of creating balance and
consistency in your marketing efforts. You should use purchased leads
as a supplement and purchased leads should account to no more than
about 20% of your total lead
flow... the rest of the leads should come from other sources (i.e.
your own marketing efforts).
A little known secret that gets great results and helps in getting the
most bang for the buck on purchased leads is to practice "giving
before receiving." You can offer a free newsletter or report This
allows a "shy" inquiry from the prospect to begin to learn who you
are. Then after they request information from you, you can leverage
through the use of technology to further educate your prospect. So,
when you pick up the phone to call them, they will know who you are.
TIP - Keep in mind this is a relationship based industry. Your
prospects will buy and/or join with people they know and trust. Your
job in prospecting is to establish a connection with the prospect and
then persistently nurture the relationship.
Q: I am nervous when I am prospecting for
clients and new reps. What can I do to be more comfortable?
A: Take consistent action! Consistency in
taking action will keep you in front of your prospects and the more
you do something, the more you will improve. This will take effort
over time and a conscious effort in developing and improving upon your
skills.
When I began marketing and selling years ago, I would sweat in the
hands and be very nervous. This is common for most people, especially
when starting something knew. Often our own perception of ourselves
will trigger an uncomfortable feeling, but through consistency of
taking action, you will improve your skills... your confidence will
build... and more people will be attracted to want to do business with
you.
I highly recommend working the Power of 45 Strategy. Learn it!
Understand it! Master it! This strategy is powerful and will help you
become consistent. In addition, you must track your progress so you
can visually see your progress. Plus tracking will help you in
forecasting your business growth.
TIP - Underdeveloped skills is a major reason people fail in this
industry. Get comprehensive sales skills assessment and learn
specifically what your strengths and weaknesses are. The assessment
can pinpoint trouble areas and key areas for strengthening your
approach, which short cuts your learning curve and accelerates your
success. The assessment is available here at the academy.
Q: How do I stay motivated and consistent
in building my business?
A: A(LTV + E/T + D), which is a success
formula. Basically, you must build on a solid ground (your optimistic
attitude). You will need to develop internally as well so your
motivation is at a sustainable level. The Battery Charge Desktop
System is a great tool you can use (and it is FREE) to charge your
internal battery.
In addition to the solid ground, build upon four cornerstones: Long
Term Vision, Effort, Time, and Discipline. You must not miss any of
these or your business will collapse. These four cornerstones are also
built directly into the solid ground, providing you with a solid
foundation for growth. When you understand this formula, and also the
true definition of discipline, you will gain control of your business.
You will begin to get motivated and consistency will follow.
TIP - Get the training CD, Guaranteed Growth and Profits for an
in-depth explanation of the formula and the definition on discipline.
Q: I have no money! How do I build my
business fast?
A: Unfortunately, lack of money can cause
a lot of frustration and your business won't grow fast. However,
through a consistency of effort over time, you will see things begin
to take hold and grow. Keep in mind, you can't throw money at the
business and expect fast growth. Even if the business grows fast,
statistics prove such fast growth can crumble as quick as it is built.
Now don't let that discourage you because I started with very little
money and built my business with a (frazzled and broken) shoestring.
What helped me was to get in the action and stay consistent in the
actions I took to grow my business. Since you have no money, you will
have to resort to doing the free marketing steps. Just keep in mind
that the process for growth will be much slower.
TIP - Make your marketing budget your priority. Begin with what you
have (even if it is nothing) and get creative. Develop a marketing
budget from the initial monies earned in your business and use your
budget to market your business. Overtime, your budget will grow and
the better you can invest into your skill development, marketing
tools, and marketing methods.
Do you have a question you want answered? Email us and we will
answer your questions. Who knows? Your question might appear in our
eNewsletter. |
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Something to Think About!
"Success doesn't come to you... you go to it!" ... Marva Collins
No matter what time of year it is, you will find
most people will come up with reasoning to justify their
procrastination on working toward a specific goal. All to often we are
in a position to succeed in the opportunity we have at hand but we
fail to take the action.
Years ago I would hear my mother say, "when my ship
comes in... we will be able to do many of the things we want."
Unfortunately, most people sit and wait for the ship to come in. They
sit and wait and wait and wait... and the ship never comes in.
Success in the Direct Selling Industry is no
different. We can sit and wait and wait and wait. We can even sit and
hope and hope and hope some more. Or even make wish after wish. Yet,
unless we get off our butt and take action toward the goals we desire,
we will never achieve even a small slice of the success pie we so
desire. You can't sit and wait for success, rather you must go out and
find success.
It is critical for you to understand that your
journey toward success will begin with a single step made by you. No
one else can take the action for you. In addition, achieving success
will take effort over time, discipline, an optimistic attitude, a
clear long-term vision, patience, planning, sometimes money, and
always consistent action.
If you sit and wait for your ship to come in, you
are settling for what the ship offers. However, if you go to the shipyard,
you can choose the ship. You can choose the size of the ship as well.
The choice is yours but make a commitment now to never settle for
mediocrity.
Do not sit back and just wait for things to happen.
Define your goals and dreams. Set your performance standard benchmarks
and then take action to reach for your goals and dreams. Do not let
others stand in your way and be sure to always remember that success
happens to those who go after success, not for those who sit and wait
for it to happen.
NOTE: Success requires a sustainable internal motivation,
which is fueled by an internal battery. This battery is like the Energizer
Battery... "it keeps you going, and
going, and going!" The fact is that having a sustainable motivation will allow you to
overcome the ups and downs of building your own business without
getting derailed from moving toward your main objective. Begin
developing your sustainable motivation by recharging your internal
battery today... just plug into our FREE Battery Charge Desktop
System. Go to
http://www.directsellingacademy.com/freebatterycharge.htm for
complete details.
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Performance
Improvement Resource of
the Week...
Learn, understand, and implement this effective
market-tested simple 4-step process and achieve better results in your
business!
Increased sales don't just happen. The key to increased sales
(getting more prospects saying YES and doing business with you)
requires you to understand your recruiting and sales process. It's NOT
magic, it's the Process. You must not only understand the process but
you must also follow the process consistently.
In this training audio, you will learn about a simple 4-step
process that is proven to work and has helped many marketers, just
like you, achieve better results in their direct selling business.
This is a work smart learning gold nugget training session. The fact
is you CAN increase your recruiting and sales results when you learn,
understand, and implement this effective market-tested simple 4-step
process.
Just look what you will learn in this powerful nuts 'n
bolts training CD:
- Understand a simple proven 4-step process to help you work
smarter.
- The secret to getting more YES decisions from your prospects.
- How expectations affect your bottom-line results (this is
critical information you NEED).
- Understand the difference between prospecting and selling (if
you confuse the two you will end up working too hard to get the
sale).
- Understand the importance of the process (and how to use the
process to get the better results).
- The proven secret behind what drives successful results (this
secret alone, if you pay attention to it, can dramatically improve
your results).
- Plus, you will get additional tips and proven techniques to
ensure positive results in your recruiting and selling efforts.
If you're serious
about increasing your recruiting and sales results, you will get this
breakthrough comprehensive training CD right now and implement what
you learn immediately.
Click Here to Order this Performance
Improvement Training CD
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Important Notice
No part of this
publication may be edited, reproduced, or redistributed in any
other format without the express written permission of the
publisher and author. However, you may print and handout this
publication in its entirety including
this notice. If you
would like a custom version of this material for use in your marketing and/or training, feel free to write the
publisher below for licensing and distribution
details. All Rights Reserved.
Liability Disclaimer -
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative
information regarding the subject matter
within. This publication is provided with the understanding that
the publisher and author are not engaged in
rendering accounting, legal, or other professional assistance. If
accounting, legal, or other professional
assistance is required, a competent professional should be sought.
Further, the publisher and author,
specifically disclaim any liability, risk, or loss, personal or
otherwise, incurred as a consequence directly or
indirectly of the use and application of the strategies,
techniques, or content of this publication.
This is a Direct Selling Academy, Inc. Publication
For questions and/or comments regarding this document,
or to inquire about a custom version of this information to use in
your marketing and/or training, feel free to write the publisher
at:
Direct Selling Academy, Inc.
PO Box 1152
Uniontown, OH 44685
330-499-3050
publications@directsellingacademy.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-934722-81-7
ISBN-10: 1-934722-81-2
Copyright © 2007 Direct Selling Academy, Inc. Unauthorized copying
or distribution of this copyrighted material is punishable by
federal law. All Rights Reserved.
www.directsellingacademy.com
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